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Grey-Dort conversion tractors

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Wayne

07-11-2003 15:35:23




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My interest is in the home-built conversion-type tractors that were very popular out of necessity during the Great Depression. I have seen homemade "doodlebugs" pieced together from Model A's and other various automobile makes. But someone recently told me about the Grey-Dort conversion, which apparently included a small selection of pieces designed to help the farmer convert a Dodge (I think) car into a useable farm tractor. Can anyone help me with info about the Grey-Dort company? Photos? Anything? Thanks!

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Dick Riel

08-04-2003 10:55:58




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 Re: Grey-Dort conversion tractors in reply to Wayne, 07-11-2003 15:35:23  
Wayne:

You may want to check out GrayDortMotors.com. This is the site for a club dedicated to Gray-Dort owners. I, myself, am a 1921 Dort owner. Dort is the US equivalent of the Gray-Dort. Dorts were made in Flint Michigan and Gray-Dorts in Chatham Ontario Canada. Both companies made trucks. If you do a search on Gray-Dort, you will get lots of info.

Dick



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Wayne

09-02-2003 17:35:36




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 Re: Re: Grey-Dort conversion tractors in reply to Dick Riel, 08-04-2003 10:55:58  
Thanks very much, Dick. I will try that.



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Klishov, Ivan

07-14-2003 19:18:36




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 Re: Grey-Dort conversion tractors in reply to Wayne, 07-11-2003 15:35:23  
Gray-Dort was a Canadian company. It prouduced an American car, called a Gray (Dort was the Canadian componet). The American company went out of business in 1919 and Gray-Dort hung around untill 1923, the Ford Model T did it in, as the Gray-Dort was a "posh car" and just couldn't compeat with the cheap Ford T. Dort if I remember correctly was carraige maker in Ontario, they made all their parts in Canada (except the engine, rad, tranny and steering column) and were unable to compeat with Ford in that respect.

I know of know Gray-Dort tractor conversions, but if you are interested, I know a guy south of Winnipeg who has few old doodlebugs on his property, one could be a Gray-Dort....

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Dwayne

08-08-2003 12:28:05




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 Re: Re: Grey-Dort conversion tractors in reply to Klishov, Ivan, 07-14-2003 19:18:36  
The Dort was built in Flint Michigan untill 1924. It did't go out of business 1919. Gray was the Canadian componet. The carraige company was in Flint Michigan. It was owned by Dallas Dort and Billy Durant. Dallas Dort went on to build the Dort. Durant created General Motors in 1908. Billy Durant & Dallas Dort were the world's largest Buggy manufacturer at the turn of the century. Durant had a chance to buy Ford, had he the cash, Ford would have been under the GM banner. Billy Durant hired Walter Chrysler and Charles W. Nash who would later build their own cars

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Wayne

07-16-2003 20:19:56




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 Re: Re: Grey-Dort conversion tractors in reply to Klishov, Ivan, 07-14-2003 19:18:36  
Thanks, Ivan! That is helpful information. I am not looking to buy a tractor, though. My goal is to collect some photos (and maybe some folks out there will tell me their "doodlebug" stories) as I'm thinking more along the lines of building my own tractor. Why not? What else would I do with my time?



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Klishov, Ivan

07-20-2003 17:03:25




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 Re: Re: Re: Grey-Dort conversion tractors in reply to Wayne, 07-16-2003 20:19:56  
There is a book called "A Great Way To Go:The Automobile in Canada" it has very little on 'Doodlebug' conversions, but focuses on the idigenously-made autos of Canada, prior to the Second World War. It has a write up on Gray-Dort and some technical data. I'm pretty sure the book is out of print, but I'll check the libray and see if copy is still there. I can photo-copy the Gray-Dort article for you if you wish.

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